Monica Payares-Lizano, MD, FAAOS, Named Member of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ Board of Directors

LAS VEGAS (March 9, 2023)—Monica M. Payares-Lizano, MD, FAAOS, a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, was named a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) Board of Directors. She will serve as a member-at-large under age 45. Dr. Payares-Lizano will assume this position following the AAOS 2023 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas this week.

Monica M. Payares, MD, FAAOS
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Dr. Payares-Lizano has deep commitment to health equity and diversifying the healthcare workforce. A previous member of AAOS’ Diversity Advisory Board, she received Congressional recognition last year as a “Hispanic Woman of Excellence.” She was a founder and former chair of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee at the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. In addition, she served on the board for the American Association of Latino Orthopaedic Surgeons and was an active committee member for Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society and the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine.

Through these and other activities, she has mentored students from as early as middle school all the way through medical school and residency with a focus on promoting underrepresented minorities and women in medicine and orthopaedics.

A native of Colombia, she recently formed Fundación Juan Jose Payares Bustos, an organization she created with her family to honor her late father. The nonprofit provides educational and vocational training to children and families in the rural town of Galerazamba, Colombia.

Dr. Payares-Lizano is assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, voluntary faculty at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and clinical assistant professor at Florida International University. She earned her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, where she also completed residency, followed by fellowship at Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Delaware. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Florida International University.

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About the AAOS

With more than 39,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the world’s largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The AAOS is the trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal health. It provides the highest quality, most comprehensive education to help orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals at every career level to best treat patients in their daily practices. The AAOS is the source for information on bone and joint conditions, treatments, and related musculoskeletal health care issues; and it leads the health care discussion on advancing quality.

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For more information, contact:

Deanna Killackey 847-384-4035 630-815-5195 killackey@aaos.org
Lauren P. Riley 847-384-4031 708-227-1773 pearson@aaos.org